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Itinerary for Apr 6 — Apr 11, 2014

Description: Enjoy historical elegance and spectacular views along the famous River Walk. The Drury Plaza Hotel is the restored 1929 Alamo National Bank Building, located on the River Walk, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Using Art Deco ornamentation and the principles of the Beaux-Arts, the architects designed the twenty-four story skyscraper and incorporated the Texas Stars and southwest patterns. This architectural masterpiece has been a landmark in the San Antonio skyline since its construction. The basement still contains three of the original bank vaults. The outdoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi, on the hotel's 24th floor, features city-wide views. Also featured is a breath-taking view of sunset over the San Fernando Cathedral from hotel's 14th floor Cathedral Terrace .

Afternoon: Hotel check-in after 3:00PM. ORIENTATION begins in the hotel conference room at 4:00pm. Pick up your Road Scholar arrival packet containing your name tag, up-to-date schedule, list of participants, maps, and other important information we will review.
Start your San Antonio experience with an informative overview of the week to come. The on-site coordinator will greet you with a warm Texas welcome, introduce everyone, and provide key staff contact names and emergency contact phone numbers. We will review the up-do-date schedule, orient you to the hotel location on a map, discuss responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. If you arrive late, be sure to pick up your packet at the hotel front desk.
Discover why San Antonio is undoubtedly one of America's unique cities. Its poignant and colorful history, ethnically varied people, and blending of cultural heritages set the city apart. While the River Walk and the Alamo define San Antonio symbolically, past political and cultural wars of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries resulted in six sovereign nations flying their flags over Texas. This created a mixture of inhabitants from Mexico, the Old South, the "Wild West," and Europe. Get the facts and figures on the city's demographics, economy, weather, geography, and ecology.
Breakfast each day is in the hotel with lunch and dinner at restaurants in the downtown and River Walk areas.
This Road Scholar program offers the opportunity to study and explore America's most complete Spanish Colonial Spanish Mission complex featuring the Alamo, unlock San Antonio's colorful history, study the River Walk and its environs with historians, review the 26 ethnic groups that settled the Texas frontier, learn of famous and not so famous characters in Texas' storied past, enjoy a barge cruise on the San Antonio River, prepare and enjoy the perfect enchilada and experience a traditional mariachi performance.

Dinner: Enjoy the kickback reception on the 2nd floor of the hotel, featuring free hot food and cold drinks, during each day of your stay. A nearby restaurant offers multiple entrée choices and continuing opportunities to become acquainted with your fellow participants and program staff.

Description: Enjoy historical elegance and spectacular views along the famous River Walk. The Drury Plaza Hotel is the restored 1929 Alamo National Bank Building, located on the River Walk, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Using Art Deco ornamentation and the principles of the Beaux-Arts, the architects designed the twenty-four story skyscraper and incorporated the Texas Stars and southwest patterns. This architectural masterpiece has been a landmark in the San Antonio skyline since its construction. The basement still contains three of the original bank vaults. The outdoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi, on the hotel's 24th floor, features city-wide views. Also featured is a breath-taking view of sunset over the San Fernando Cathedral from hotel's 14th floor Cathedral Terrace .

Day Two: Monday, April 07 - Gone to Texas Presentation/The River Walk & the A...

Note: Must be able to climb up and down stairs to access river walk area of city and restaurants. Must be able to board trolley to reach start of walking tour. Walking up to two miles and standing in museum for 1-2 hours.

Breakfast: Hotel provides full hot breakfast buffet each morning on the 2nd floor.

Morning: Pick any kid off the street in Japan, show him an outline of the state of Texas, and most likely he will instantly know what it is. Professor Allen Lee Hamilton of St. Philip's College will explain why Texas is the most universally famous place in America in a two-hour lecture and PowerPoint tour of Texas History, focusing on the sweeping events and fascinating characters that make Texas the amazing place it is; what John Steinbeck described as "a state of mind . . . a mystique closely approximating a religion . . . the obsession, the proper study, and the passionate possession of all Texans.”

Afternoon: Go on expert-led walking explorations that visit the Alamo, the elegant Menger Hotel—built in 1859 on the site of Texas’ first brewery—and La Villita, at the heart of old San Antonio which is now home to the shops and studios of artists and craftsmen. Learn historical details about the siege of the Alamo and why it remains important to Texans after more than 150 years. Find out about the development of the River Walk and the transformation of downtown San Antonio into a vibrant city enjoyed by thousands of visitors each year.

Dinner: 5:30 p.m. Enjoy the kickback reception on the 2nd floor of the hotel, featuring free hot food and cold drinks, during each day of your stay. Dinner at a local German Delicatessan, one of the oldest continually operated restaurants in the State of Texas.

Evening: Step outside the hotel to the River Walk— the heart of the city —for a private, narrated barge ride on the San Antonio River, located 20 feet below street level and just steps from the famed Alamo. See how stone pathways connect shops, restaurants, hotels and museums with a blend of historic and modern architecture that resonate the depth of this centuries-old metropolis. Your day of exploration ends as the river barge returns you to the hotel.

Description: Enjoy historical elegance and spectacular views along the famous River Walk. The Drury Plaza Hotel is the restored 1929 Alamo National Bank Building, located on the River Walk, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Using Art Deco ornamentation and the principles of the Beaux-Arts, the architects designed the twenty-four story skyscraper and incorporated the Texas Stars and southwest patterns. This architectural masterpiece has been a landmark in the San Antonio skyline since its construction. The basement still contains three of the original bank vaults. The outdoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi, on the hotel's 24th floor, features city-wide views. Also featured is a breath-taking view of sunset over the San Fernando Cathedral from hotel's 14th floor Cathedral Terrace .

Note: Must be able to climb up and down stairs to access river walk area of city and restaurants. Walking up to two miles and standing in museum for 2-3 hours.

Breakfast: Full breakfast buffet at the hotel.

Morning: This morning's cultural field trip travels back in time to the Spanish colonial era of San Antonio in the 18th century at San Fernando Cathedral, the oldest cathedral sanctuary in the U.S., completed in 1750, and an active parish of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. Construction began on the cathedral shortly after Canary Island colonists, granted land and title by Spain's King Philip V, settled here in 1731. General Santa Ana raised the red flag of "no quarter" from the cathedral during the siege of the Alamo.
On to our cooking adventure: "All you need to know to begin Tex-Mex cooking." Learn how to prepare a delicious Mexican meal with picante style from Diana Barrios Trevino. Diana has appeared on the Today Show, the Food Network and prepared the puffy tacos served at Bill Clinton’s inauguration dinner. Diana shares the story of her mother’s struggle to start a restaurant and how the family business has expanded to satisfy the hunger of thousands of happy customers. After class taste for yourself the results of these recipes with a delicious meal at the restaurant.

Afternoon: Art enthusiasts will delight in a field trip to one of San Antonio’s finest art institutions. Enjoy a visit to the McNay Museum of Art, a Spanish Colonial Revival-style home which opened as the first museum of modern art in Texas in 1954. Today, its visitors are captivated by magnificent works of art by modern masters including Paul Gauguin, Vincent Van Gogh, Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
Travel by bus to San Antonio Mission National Historic Park for an exploration of the missions that make up the complex. With experts, learn about the early settlement and efforts of the Spanish to convert people to the church and an agricultural form of life. Discover the beauty of Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo, the Queen of the Missions, restored by the WPA in the 1930s. See how Spaniards used irrigation (acequia) systems to develop self-sustaining agricultural communities along the San Antonio River. You’ll also see Mission Concepcion on your visit to the site of the earliest European settlements.

Dinner: 5:30 p.m. Enjoy the kickback reception on the 2nd floor of the hotel, featuring free hot food and cold drinks, during each day of your stay.
Dinner at local restaurant, Little Red Barn, a unique family owned business which has grown into one of the largest steakhouses in the country.

Description: Enjoy historical elegance and spectacular views along the famous River Walk. The Drury Plaza Hotel is the restored 1929 Alamo National Bank Building, located on the River Walk, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Using Art Deco ornamentation and the principles of the Beaux-Arts, the architects designed the twenty-four story skyscraper and incorporated the Texas Stars and southwest patterns. This architectural masterpiece has been a landmark in the San Antonio skyline since its construction. The basement still contains three of the original bank vaults. The outdoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi, on the hotel's 24th floor, features city-wide views. Also featured is a breath-taking view of sunset over the San Fernando Cathedral from hotel's 14th floor Cathedral Terrace .

Note: Must be able to climb up and down stairs to access river walk area of city and restaurants. Must be able to board trolley. Walking up to two miles and standing in museum for 1-2 hours.

Breakfast: Full breakfast buffet at the hotel.

Morning: From campfires to cracker barrels to front porches, folks have been gathering around to hear stories for centuries, and tales told well still work their magic. Texas history and folklore come alive through the riveting tales—some true, some tall—told by our award-winning storyteller, so gather round, sit back, and enjoy. Chuckle at humorous stories and Texas myths told by our award-winning storyteller.

Lunch: Lunch at a nearby restaurant before you explore the city on your own.

Afternoon: Afternoon unscheduled. Extra-curricular activity options will be provided by the coordinator, instructors and staff.

Dinner: 5:30 p.m. Enjoy the kickback reception on the 2nd floor of the hotel, featuring free hot food and cold drinks, during each day of your stay. Dinner on your own to explore the River Walk's many restaurants and assorted eclectic cuisines.

Evening: Unscheduled evening to stroll the River Walk or enjoy other San Antonio sites.

Description: Enjoy historical elegance and spectacular views along the famous River Walk. The Drury Plaza Hotel is the restored 1929 Alamo National Bank Building, located on the River Walk, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Using Art Deco ornamentation and the principles of the Beaux-Arts, the architects designed the twenty-four story skyscraper and incorporated the Texas Stars and southwest patterns. This architectural masterpiece has been a landmark in the San Antonio skyline since its construction. The basement still contains three of the original bank vaults. The outdoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi, on the hotel's 24th floor, features city-wide views. Also featured is a breath-taking view of sunset over the San Fernando Cathedral from hotel's 14th floor Cathedral Terrace .

Note: Must be able to climb up and down stairs to access river walk area of city and restaurants. Must be able to board trolley to reach start of walking tour. Walking up to two miles and standing in museum for 1-2 hours.

Breakfast: Full breakfast buffet at the hotel.

Morning: Take a peek at the system of folk medicine that came to be used by the early Texans, who often were forced to find substitutes for remedies that had been available in their previous environs. They began to share "cures" with people from other cultures: Native Americans, Mexicans, Germans, Poles, Swedes and many others. Join us as we look inside the medicine cabinets of these early settlers.
Late morning offers a guided walking tour of the King William Historic District. See mansions and cottages, including Guenther house, of varied architectural styles built by successful German families after the Civil War. Walk along the San Antonio River and adjacent farm lands that had originally belonged to the Alamo in mission days.

Lunch: Lunch at local restaurant. Get your barbecue fix.

Afternoon: On to the Institute of Texan Cultures, an educational center showcasing the 26 different ethnic and cultural groups groups that settled the Texas frontier. The Institute of Texan Cultures is located downtown on the UTSA HemisFair Park Campus, a short walk from the Alamo and the River Walk. The HemisFair campus was built to host the 1968 World’s Fair and began the revitalization of the city. The 182,000-square-foot complex features 65,000 square feet of interactive exhibits and displays that tell the stories of Texans.

Dinner: 5:30 p.m. Enjoy the kickback reception on the 2nd floor of the hotel, featuring free hot food and cold drinks, during each day of your stay. Festive farewell dinner at River Walk restaurant. Choose from multiple entrees.

Morning: "Mary Menger , Alamo Plaza Proprietress, 1816-1887" - Hear the intriguing story of German immigrant Mary Menger, who operated two large San Antonio enterprises in the mid-19th century and demonstrated that a woman could thrive during a time when men dominated local commerce. As a widow and single mother, Menger profited from both the Western Brewery and Menger Hotel and became San Antonio’s largest employer.
Program concludes no later than 11:00 a.m.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Free Time Opportunities

San Antonio, Texas

Botanical GardensSan Antonio's Botanical Gardens house 33 acres of display gardens, fountains, and natural areas. The Halsell Conservatory, a 90,000-square-foot complex of below-ground houses that use the earth's insulation to limit plant exposure to the elements. Only the pyramidal glass roofs are visible from above ground. Sixteen feet below ground several ecosystems surround a courtyard and pond. Telephone 210-207-3255.For additional information, visit: www.sabot.org

Briscoe Western Art MuseumThe Briscoe Museum preserves and interprets the art, history, and culture of the American West through engaging exhibitions, educational programs, and public events reflective of the region’s rich traditions and shared heritage. 210 W. Market Street; Telephone 210.299.4499For additional information, visit: http://www.briscoemuseum.org/

Casa Navarro State Historic SiteFormer home of eminent statesman, rancher, Jose Antonio Navarro. Site consists of three restored structures: his home, kitchen and office. Navarro was among the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Site contains authentic period furnishings, personal memorabilia.

Convention and Visitors BureauThe San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau operates a full-service visitor information center that provides an extensive inventory of helpful brochures and other promotional materials concerning events and sites in and around the city.For additional information, visit: www.sanantoniovisit.com

IMAX Theatre-"Alamo...The Price of Freedom""Alamo...The Price of Freedom," is a 48-minute docudrama film that re-creates the 13-day seige and fall of the Alamo. Immense screen and magnetic stereo sound system places visitors in the middle of the action as the battle unfolds, as 189 defenders fought and died for the cause of Texas liberty. Telephone 210-247-4629.For additional information, visit: www.IMAX-SA.com

San Antonio Museum of ArtSince its opening in 1981, the museum has become home to an array of Greek and Roman antiquities, Asian art, Latin American art, European and American paintings, contemporary art, Oceanic art, decorative art, and near Eastern and Islamic art. Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery that was built in 1884. Telephone 210-978-8100.For additional information, visit: www.samuseum.org

San Antonio ZooMore than 3,500 animals of 750 species found in one of the premier zoos in North America. This zoo, established in 1914 is the first zoo outside of Africa to produce a white rhino calf.

Southwest School of ArtsA community-based professional-level art school, visitors can see contemporary art exhibitions and hear lectures by visiting artists. The adjacent, contemporary Navarro Campus features a large gallery for contemporary art. Great restaurant open for lunch.For additional information, visit: www.swschool.org

Spanish Governor's PalaceIn 1772, San Antonio became the seat of Spanish government in Texas, headquartered at 10-room Spanish Governor's Palace on Military Plaza. It was to this adobe-walled structure that Moses Austin came in 1820 for permission to bring a colony of U.S. citizens into Spanish Texas. Telephone 210-224-0601.

Steves HomesteadThis elegant three-story mansion, located in the King William Historic District on the east bank of the San Antonio River, was built in 1876 for Edward Steves, founder of the Steves Lumber Company. Alfred Giles, prominent San Antonio architect, is thought to be the designer of the ashlar limestone structure which features a concave mansard roof with decorative iron cresting and exhibits characteristic of the French Second Empire and the Italian Villa styles.
In 1952, the property was donated to the San Antonio Conservation Society by Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Vaughan in memory of her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Steves, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Steves. The Steves Homestead has been maintained since 1954 as a historic house museum.
Guided tours of the Homestead, led by a trained docent or staff member, are available Monday through Friday at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Please call 210-225-5924 or email fvarga@saconservation.org to confirm guided tour availability or to arrange for guided group tours and joint tour tickets.
Adults: $10.00
Seniors 65+, active military, students: $7.50
Children under 12: Free
509 King William, San Antonio, TX 78204
Telephone 210-225-5924

Important information about your itinerary: Please know that while we do everything we can to finalize all aspects of our programs well in advance, there are logistics that occasionally must be altered. Our website will reflect the most recent information, and we are committed to providing you with final program details no later than eight weeks prior to the start of programs outside the U.S. and three weeks prior to the start of programs within the U.S. If you ever have questions about your program, please don't hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

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The latest in light, portable, easy-to-use QUIETVOX listening devices are available on Road Scholar programs.* Whether you are outdoors, in a crowd or in a museum environment where speaking loudly is discouraged, a listening device makes it feel like our experts are speaking clearly and directly to you. Hear for yourself on a Road Scholar adventure!

*Please note that due to the nature of some programs, the remote location or government regulations, listening devices may not be available. If you’d like to know for sure if your program will offer listening devices, just call and ask an Advisor!